4 more lotus discs
artist: Mártires del Compástitle: No Papeles
file under: int’l / Spanish Flamenco / LOTUS 2005
grade: A-
Spanish flamenoistas Mártires del Compás has been around for over a decade, and No Papeles is their fifth release. They are plugged in, but electric guitars are more for spice than the main course. It’s an experimental take on flamenco, pushing the envelope via rock’n’roll. Somehow I think the guitar work would be more jarring for purists in Almería than for Lotus-goers, though we might need a little time to sort the gravely vocals. Check the coda shift on “Chu Lailo La Leilo” (03)!
reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
artist: Téada
title: Give Us A Penny and Let Us Be Gone
file under: int’l / Irish Celtic / LOTUS 2005
grade: A
Téada's second album proves that the artistic success of the band's first was no fluke. With Give Us a Penny and Let Us Be Gone (a title that comes from the tradition of Wren Day on December 26) they boost themselves up into the premier league of artists, young or otherwise. There's a vibrancy and imagination in the way the instrumental sets are arranged (for example, the fiddle and bodhran duet on "Peter Horan's" [03]), while the songs exhibit a lovely poignancy. Most of the material is relatively obscure, which helps them put their stamp more firmly on it, although "The Trip We Took Over the Mountain" (10), probably most famous in its Seamus Ennis version, shines in their hands. (4 stars)
reviewer: Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
artist: APPEX Ensemble
title: APPEX Ensemble
file under: int’l / Asia-Pacific / LOTUS 2005
grade: B
APPEX is an acronym for Asian Pacific Performance Exchange. So far so good. The EX part could also stand for extended—“Skinful” (02) & “Project” (06) both clock in at over ten minutes in length. This is definitely on the quiet side, and will most likely work best in one of the church venues. “Jugoya” (04) might be the place to start, with winds and percussion playing off one another to nice effect.
reviewer: bjorn ingvoldstad
artist: Badi Assad
title: Verde
file under: int’l / Brazil / LOTUS 2005
grade: A
The exotic, one of a kind Brazilian guitarist, singer, and rhythmic mouth and body percussionist has had a stop-and-start career with turns as mysterious and intriguing as her music. After splashing on the scene with her Chesky debut Solo in 1994, continuing the stir (including vast critical acclaim) with Rhythms (1995) and releasing Chameleon on Verve in 1997, Badi Assad suffered from a series of personal issues that drew her back home for a few years. Those expecting a typical Brazilian vocal album — she explains the title as "the shades of the Brazilian rain forest" — will be surprised by Assad's versatility, which incorporates rhythmic textures from around the world. (4 stars)
Note: Assad covers both U2 (03) and Björk (08) in this set…
reviewer: Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
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